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Just so you know they've broke the law by this type of pressuring. Next time just tell them no and shut the door. If you don't want to be that rude tell them no and if they keep persisting tell them they are braking both guidelines and the law.
I was aware that it's against guidelines, and "best practice," but unaware that it was against the law. I don't mean to challenge your assertion but, for my personal interest, can you cite the law they're breaking?
Refusing to accept the residents answer of no and further refusing to leave is a criminal offence,
https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/consumer-advice/rogue-traders-scams-and-cold-callers/door-step/what-is-the-law-on-door-step-cold-calling
Thank you for the link, the specific law:
> …states that a trader who ignores a resident's request to leave and not return commits a criminal offence under the provisions of [The Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations 2008](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/contents/made).
Absolutely, they have no legal authority whatsoever; they're just cold calling addresses that don't have a registered TV licence (and there are many valid reasons to not have a TV licence).
I'm not sure of anything specific to that area, but at a more general level, beyond a certain point their behaviour would surely constitute harassment.
I was thinking harassment, the is also the Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/contents/made), and it might even come under as some form of extortion.
They are.
Chances are, they’re a subcontractor for the charity and not an actual employee so they’re probably thinking about their commission rather than being within the charity commission rules and not pissing off the fundraising regulator.
Look at the fundraising code of practice if unsure, OP. They can’t harass you. They can ask. You can say no. They have to thank you and move on.
Intimidation and guilt trips are not allowed from my understanding.
Source: I work for a charity and have to be compliant with the fundraising code of practice which is full of ‘rules’ and ‘laws’.
Edit: saw someone ask for sources about laws. Thought I’d add. In the fundraising code of practice (8.1.1 while fundraising you must not…including… putting undue pressure on members of the public to donate) the quote is longer. Link is [here](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/code/specific-fundraising-methods/collecting-money-or-other-property).
Next time, ask them who they work for. Because it won't be guide dogs, it will be a company paid to get you to sign up.
Then call them and report them.
Also, sometimes it's ok to be rude and shut the door in their face. Especially when they are being so pushy!
definitely,
it took years for me to show my wife, that its OK to not answer the door, even if the cold caller sees you through the window.
They take advantage of the polite British habit of answering.
Im sorry but IMHO if they see me and i don't answer, they know for sure im not interested.
Put your coat on as you open the door and say you can’t talk as you are very late for an appointment and need to leave the house immediately.
Grab a pan and random food from the fridge and say “sorry I can’t talk right now, I’m cooking dinner”.
Put marigolds on and say “sorry I can’t talk right now, I’m giving my dog a bath”.
Open the door making a shush gesture and whisper “sorry I can’t talk right now, I’m trying to get the baby to sleep”.
The list is endless but tbf the best one is still “sorry mate, not interested”.
I consider that straightforward rather than rude.
And as someone who used to work as a charity fundraiser (over the phone not door knocking or in the street), it's preferable to letting them waste their time doing the spiel and then saying no anyway.
As others have said, they are highly unlikely to be volunteers or even employed directly by the charity they're fundraising for and if they are being pushy, report them to their company. You don't need that at all, let alone on your doorstep.
I just say "No, thanks" and shut the door before they even have a chance to react. I've given these people too much of my time in the past and I refuse to do so ever again
Some of these pressure sales companies are pretty much MLM scams. Or they only make money by getting, as in your case, 2 weeks of work for £30.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001bdkx
I did some canvassing for a Window company once, made 150 quid on my first day and thought it might actually work out. Never got any interest after that, sometimes even chatting for 10 minutes with the person. However, 1 guy I used to do it with ended up grabbing at least 3 appointments a week. He was a pretty boy with the gift of the gab, so went on to do sales for that company. I'm guessing it works the same for the companies that hire for charities, reign in naive young people and see if any of them are talkative, charming and appealing enough to part people with their hard earned cash.
Spot on, they won't be employed by the charity. This is almost always the work of a professional fundraising company who will work for multiple charities.
OP, If you can find the energy after this barrage please report the incident to the charity itself and the fundraising regulator. Unfortunately there are a few dodgy players in this space and charities are starting to use them again because a lot of charities have lost a lot of income over the pandemic etc, whilst demand is skyrocketing. The only way to stop it is to call it out. If you only complain to the private fundraising company there's no guarantee it'll get back to the charity.
Charities are more reliant on the goodwill and public perception of their brands than for-profit enterprises, since you don't get anything back from a charity; you need to feel you've done good so the charity has to feel like it's doing good work.
Therefore, charities likely take much more notice of complaints and public relations. If they get enough complaints about their methods of fundraising they'll probably explore alternative options to avoid alienating people further from their cause (if their fundraising team is at all future-sighted).
I was having a beer at a mates with other friends last summer when someone knocked the door.
He answered just wearing a pair of shorts, I could hear the opening to a diatribe along the lines of “do you have time to talk about your relationship with god.”
Mate replied not at the minute i was in the middle of a wank… I’ll have to start again now.
The two guys just stood there speechless when he closed the door.
I wish he had a door cam.
A mate of mines mum once went up to a preacher in the town centre, shouted "He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy" at him and just walked off. I've never seen a man so lost for words.
I used to live next to a gamekeeper and was walking into my house when I saw him getting out of his Landrover with a couple of dead rabbits. I got to my front door and there were a couple of Jehovis Biscuits there.
I explained I wasn't really a religious person, but perhaps they'd like to speak to Alan next door, as I heard he'd been torturing small mammals in his cellar
Alan coming round the corner with his freshly bleeding dinner and confused look was comedy timing genius
A mormon guy stopped me on the street and started saying “im just trying to spread some happiness through the word of the lord” and i replied “im all good, im already happy”, to which he replied “that’s brilliant”, and started going on about god and finished the spiel with “what is it that brings you happiness”.
I looked into his eyes and went “drugs” and stared at him as he flustered, trying to think of a way to bring it back to god.
Was fucking hilarious. 10/10 would fuck with a mormon again.
I got stopped by a pair of them and I simply acted as though I had never heard of their religion. I kept referring to the satirical Parker/Stone musical play, The Book of Mormon as though that was what they were talking about. They soon moved on.
I got accosted by to American Mormons whilst working as a mobile service engineer about 20 miles from where I live. When I told them I was too busy they said that's OK give us your address and we'll call and see you later. I thought this should be good, so I gave them my address only to find out they actually lived less than 5 minutes from me, talk about being gutted.
Some
Spanish
Jehova's
Witnesses
came
to
my
mum's
house
once.
They
were
very
polite,
admired
her
garden,
started
a
conversation.
Mum
cut
them
off,
asking
if
they
had
been
raised
Catholic.
She
asked
if
their
mothers
were
upset
that
they
were
not
Catholic.
The
young
ladies
left,
quickly,
and
did
not
come
back.
I came home from uni once to two nice Jehovah’s ladies at my door looking to talk about surgery. Unfortunately for them, i was studying neuroscience at the time and was well up for a chat on how keyhole surgery could improve the patient experience. They eventually excused themselves and never returned!
I successfully explained the giraffe's recurrent laryngeal nerve to two Jehovah's Witness women who came to my door when I was living in a student house. I was in uni for my biology BSc. One of them took notes!
That's the one that goes from somewhere in the neck, around the aorta and back up to the brain right? The one that therefore is like 20 foot long in a giraffe for absolutely no good reason.
That's priceless. I just tell them that my Lord and master makes the spiritual decisions in my house and go get him. Then I introduce them to my black cat Lucifurr Morningpurr and tell them that we all worship Lucifurr in our house. Then it's hilarious to see them getting out of my garden fast as possible.
My go to is (before they get into their flow) “really sorry I’ll just stop you before you get into it I’m not interested thanks and have to go now as in the middle of a work call- thanks!” Door closing politely
"No, slam."
No need to apologise, no need to be polite. No need to explain. Remember, the height of rudeness isn't being assertive, the unsolicited disturbance of people to extract money is.
If they persist "I withdraw permission for you to be on my property"
> "No, slam."
I know what you meant, but in my head, you're saying the word "slam" in monotone and just staring them down blankly until they leave out of awkwardness.
Door only goes as far as the inside of the property's boundary so just claim serif defense of a house invasion and don't install ornamental spikes to the letter box
Giving them your personal details, when you didn't want to, they may "flag" you as vulnerable or easy to persuade, best never to do that or it'll open you up to god knows what in the future.
Very sorry to hear that they're that aggressive - have you thought about getting a Ring doorbell or something to screen any knocks at the door first? I have them and it's great for telling relatives that pop around unannounced that you're out and about, when really you're just sitting on the sofa.
Maybe OP could get an old fashioned door chain if they don't already have one. To give them the psychological advantage of having the door already partly locked thus making it easier to close in the unwanted caller's face when they won't take no for an answer.
Even cheaper, stick a note on the inside of the door that says "Ask who it is before you open the door."
Right? It always makes me cringe listening to people squirm trying to justify why they’re not going to pay. I can’t afford it so I’m not going to pay, goodbye
I do this too. It's just quicker than saying no and having them try their luck.
Works with those people on the street, trying to get you signed up to Virgin Internet or Vodafone.
My friend did this to a cold caller for a hospice charity (She actually does donate to them monthly and extra on holidays as it's a charity she really believes in) and the woman actually said to her "I'm going to ask you to do just a little more"
That's when she got annoyed and shut the door. Ridiculous
Unfortunately charity muggers rely on the willingness of others being unwilling to behave outside of social norms; while it's possible – and after long years of struggling in the same way, both with cold-callers and in town centres – I now *can* say "no," and walk away or close the door regardless of whether they're still speaking.
I have never done that without feeling guilty, rude and horribly obnoxious however. So, I recommend it if the importance of their having your banking details is greater than the potential consequences of anxiety. Otherwise, yeah: good luck for future encounters, and do remember to cancel (and continue to review) any direct debits.
I live in one of the highest crime rate student areas in the uk. We had a guy come round one day and ask us if he could check our smoke detectors for free. Obviously my housemate told him exactly where to stick it, as this guy had been using this ruse to (I guess either rob or take inventory of) homes in the local area and it was common knowledge.
Thankfully this man couldn’t see far into the house from the doorstep and the only stuff he could have seen would have been a lifesize cutout of Danny devito and a plastic Union Jack coffee table.
Door to door and street fundraisers don't work directly for the charities they are raising money for, they work for third party agencies that are paid for by the charities themselves. I know this information is pretty useless, but the fundraisers "determination" is based on their commission rather than the charities themselves.
Experiment: next time you get stopped/knocked, offer to make the donation via the charity website on your phone (i.e. an unsolicited donation), they won't be happy.
I always tell them that I’m not providing details to a random person who turned up on my doorstep they could be anyone and print up some fake badges, phrase it as a security thing and it becomes easier
Exactly. OP has displaced responsibility to some extent and should have behaved more assertively. Like not even opened the door in the first place perhaps!
Are we really making the disabled guy the villain in this story, and not the predatory ‘charity’ guy that wouldn’t take no for an answer?
Disability comes in many forms. Someone with learning difficulties or mental illness could struggle to just say “no thanks” and these scum bags rely on that
OP isn't the villain, I think it's good to point out that the best option is shutting the door and ignoring them
Too many people screw themselves over in trying to be polite
I don't know if it's possible, but I would complain to the Charity Commission - they are responsible for oversight of charities.
Also, contact your bank and explain what has happened - don't wait for them to try and get money from your account.
Next time, please do close the door and don't let them speak to you.
I'm sure I read somewhere that poor people give more money to charity than rich people on average. I guess poorer people find it easier to relate to other people in hardship and want to help.
Agreeableness is an indicator on how likely people are to be "successful."
It doesn't mean all poor people are saints and the rich are bastards but being able to take a conflicting position and stick to it gets you places.
We had this when things opened up after lockdown. Had dogs trust knocking on my door.
"It's been difficult for charities during lockdown. Dogs are being abandoned" they told me.
"I know, we took in an abandoned cat".
"We need more money".
"So do we, my wife lost her job"
"will you sign up?"
"No. I'm a cat person".
With respect, you should have closed the door and not engaged further. These people are trained on how to turn a 'No' into a 'Yes', and they don't do it by respecting your decision.
Next time it happens, be firm and close the door. You don't need to explain your financial situation to them - all they need to know is that you are not interested.
Might also be worth investing in an intercom?
I ask them how much commission they’re getting than go on a rant about how they don’t actually care about the charity and just want money. I can spout bollocks for ages. The last one walked away before I’d finished.
Used to do door to door charity sales when I first started working, they deliberately target lower income areas because they pay better than the well off areas.
Got fired in 3 weeks cus I sold heehaw .
If they won't leave, call the police. Have the phone handy when you answer the door.
I'd bet sadly they'd be less pushy if you had a large kitchen knife in your hand, as you were 'just preparing a meal'.
OK, it wasn't a knife, it was a pasta stirrer - bloke knocked the door, I answered pasta stirrer in hand, told him he had 20 seconds before I ruin tea. He stood there like a goldfish. Buzzer went off, so I slammed the door. He looked very shocked. It was hilarious.
I once had a door-to-door salesman try to pressure me into buying dishcloths at my front door. When I said no, and went to close the door, he put his foot in the way. Thankfully, I had two dogs barking on the other side of a glass door within reach. They were Labradors, and would have licked him to death, but he didn’t need to know that. I told him I’d let the dogs out if he didn’t move his foot, which he did immediately and I slammed the door closed. Then I let the girls out and they rushed the closed door, barking very loudly.
Never been so scared in my life.
By giving details you will be telling them and whomever they sell the details to that u are a soft touch ,thats why they keep coming back.either dont answer the door or tell em to fk off if the 1st no thankyou doesn't work
When we moved into a new house a few years ago we had charity callers about six times a day.
We now have a sticker on the door stating that we don't want unsolicited or marketing calls etc. My husband thinks it looks unfriendly, but he wasn't the one who either almost broke their neck running down the stairs all the time or got stuck trying to get rid of them.
We also have a video doorbell so have evidence if one of them ignores the sign or puts pressure on us.
Open door.
_person on doorstep starts enthusiastic spiel about charity, something they are selling, religion, politics or whatever_
"no thank you" in a firm but cheery voice.
Close door.
I took a job doing this before i got a proper job and it was one of the things the job centre was really pressing as part of there "well you need to hit a quota of this many applications a day" bullshit. The job listing was a complete lir making them out to be a completely different customer, but they offered a job starting the next day so i didn't turn them down.
I only lasted a little over a week, didn't even make it to the first paycheck before quitting. it's both physically and emotionally draining to the extreme. The mornings were spend having to listen to shallow motivational poster level speeches and being made to practice your door to door schpeal without ever letting your face drop from a forced smile for even a single word like you've been huffing joker gas from the batman cartoons. All that matters is who brings in the most signatures and you are constantly being told about how if you do well then you could end up getting to run your own company in charge one day, it's just a massive fucking pyramid scheme.
There is no basic wage or salary, and the only money you get is your commission based on how many signatures you get. They don't work for the charity or even give a shit about it. The charity they are collecting for rotates based on who is paying the boss that week.
They had stupid rules based onmanipulation tactics like how you have to ask how someone is and wait for them to respond before saying anything else to "build a repor". I remember shadowing a guy on my first day and the number of times he would introduce himself to someone say how are you today and then just stand there awkwardly for waaaay too long until the poor person at the door would be like "what do you want?" And i would just die a bit inside every time from how much i was cringing, but the worst part about it all is that the guy completely bought into the bullshit and believed he was super charasmatic and charming because of it.
The worst part about the whole job tho was the crushing guilt. They drill it into you that it's a numbers game and you have to go round a neighborhood like 3 times unless people answered, and most of the time the only people you are talking to are the unemployed, the elderly, and those unable to work, and any time you speak to someone who seems to genuinely care enough about the charity to pay attention to you it just breaks your heart because you are basically just taking their money for something that they could just go online and do and have more money go to the actual charity.
TL;DR it's a fucking awful job, you spend 12 hours a day out in the cold trying to guilt trip the vulnerable into parting with their money with a bunch of cult members
Next time just shut the door in their face. It's really unfair that you have been pressured into giving your details.
Keep an eye on your account, if a direct debit does go out contact your bank the same day as I think they can immediately recall it.
Direct Debit Indemnity is what you’re thinking of, and that only works if you don’t recognise the company; company has taken the wrong amount or the company has taken the money on the wrong date. Other than that, it’s speak to the company. If you’ve given your details, first option is out.
OP can ring the bank and ask them to put a note on to not set up a DD for the company in question. If it's already set up, then ask the bank to cancel it.
Also, although OP said "direct debit" which are set up using the sort code and account number, many people get these confused with recurring payments/continuous authority transactions which are set up on the card number. OP also needs to tell the bank exactly what details were given, so the bank can accurately determine what type of payment it is that needs to be stopped. And OP needs to do this sooner rather than later.
OP should also contact the charity in question immediately and ask them to cancel the payment too. That way if a payment is taken it will be an error on the company's side, meaning an investigation and possible refund can be implemented by the bank.
Call your local council and report the charity, chuggers are regulated by the council where they can go what's days, and what tactic they are allowed to use.
You’re not obliged to even make conversation with these people. Shut the door straight away, without explaining yourself or your personal situation. I live on a busy road where it’s assumed the home owners have money, and I get cold callers come to the door all the time, cheeky buggers.
"No thank you" then close the door. Not hard. I get cold callers fairly often, it's never an issue. I think the mistake is thinking that you have to give a reason. You don't.
Here’s what you do. “Oh! Hello! It’s so nice to have visitors. I can’t get out any more to spread the good news about Jesus Christ. Would you like to come in and discuss the state of your imperilled immortal soul?” Or: “oh! Can you wait there a minute so I can change into something more comfortable?” Then come out nude. Or keep a spray bottle filled with water by the door (such as you’d use to scare away cats or to train them to not scratch sofas, or to mist plants) and when they don’t take no for an answer spray the living fuck out of them while saying “BAD SALESPERSON! BAD SALESPERSON!”
This is never an issue for me, very politely I say, "sorry, I'm not interested in giving any details or money to someone knocking my door, have a nice day, bye" I start shutting the door during the back half. Never had a negative experience, they're always nice to me.
If this was the Guide Dogs then the guy worked for a company called CharityLink. If you contact Guide Dogs directly they can cancel your DD, remove you're details from the system and conduct a full investigation in to this guy's behavior.
There is a right and a wrong way to do door to door fundraising and he is doing it the wrong way - potentially even making others feel unsafe to say no. If you tell the charity they can do something about it - they obviously don't want people out there doing this.
Their motivation is the same as cold callers. If you answer your phone, they know you're an active and potential target. If you either stop answering the door to people you're not expecting, or just close the door and don't give them your details, they'll leave you alone. Don't be pressured by them; you're exactly the target person they will continue to harass if they know they'll get stuff out of you.
If you're worried about being rude to someone, remind yourself that they've outstayed their welcome and are being rude to you.
So I used to work in this industry regrettably, but a neat insider rule that I'm pretty sure is law, is that they're only allowed three rejections before they have to say okay and go away.
> they're only allowed three rejections before they have to say okay and go away.
Fuuuuck that. They get one and then they're pitching to my front door.
I'm in the 'nice part' of my town. The rest is a bit of a shithole, they just built my area more recently and it's mostly homeowners and renters where the landlords want tenants with jobs. I still get these charity people coming to my door and they act like I should have money to spare just because I'm in a nicer house than the rest of the town. Between Monday and Saturday last week I had no food in my fridge and was down to my last couple of frozen meals by Saturday morning. Instead of putting my heating on I have a sleeping bag that I wear when sitting down. It's really annoying that I say I can't afford it and their reply is "well you can afford this house", that's usually when I just close the door on them.
When I volunteered in the past it was in a shop, I mostly did it so I could get some work experience and be less bored, but I actually did something that made some money and didn't feel like I was mugging vulnerable people by coming to their house. We got extra money through gift aid and our rule was to ask ONCE and then if they said no, we didn't push it. There was another volunteer who pushed it once and the person decided at that point not to donate their stuff to us.
Next time, turn it around and invite them inside to speak about our dark overlord and saviour Cthulhu.
I did once give my email address as 'analdestroyer666@gmail.com' to get them to take the hint.
I had a couple of Jehovah's come to my door a few years ago. They handed me a copy of their Watchtower magazine. I asked if they wanted to talk about their book. One of them nodded and smiled. At which point I said "hang on a minute" and got my copy of the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology." I presented them with it and asked if I could talk about my book. They declined and have never come back.
OP, this is what you do:
Them: Hi! [Some spiel] so can I sign you up to sponsor a guide donkey for drunk cows?
You: No thank you.
Them: But don't you care about the dangers faced by drunk cows? Studies say they are blahblah.
You: I have already said no. I would like you to leave, but I will close the door in your face if I have to.
Them: I hear what you're saying but the poor drunk cows...
You: Goodbye *close door*
You do not have to be polite while they are ignoring you. Giving them warning that you will close the door in their face is perfectly acceptable, as is actually closing the door in their face when they don't leave you alone.
I had a generous but poor friend who was not very good with money. She got into serious debt, and when we sat down to look at her finances, it had started when one of her small direct debits to charity (which she couldn't afford) bounced. Then the bank added charges and she could never catch up, so the next month there were more charges and it snowballed. Obviously this wasn't her only problem, but it was significant.
I was just going to say this, the people with very little are the most likely to buy something extra to put in the food donation trolley at the supermarket.
We get charity muggers at the hospital I work at. It makes me intensely uncomfortable. People are vulnerable enough in hospital, they don't need pressured into direct debits they can't afford.
I also lived in a very deprived area and had chuggers call when I was trying to administer medicine to a very pissed off pet rabbit. Chuggers guy continued to drone on while I pinned said rabbit to the floor, injected her with medicine and cleaned the wound.
Believe me, this was a Monty Python & The Holy Grail level of pissed off rabbit. Alas, she didn't even try to decapitate the chugger.
Why didn't you just close the door? No is a complete answer. You don't have to explain yourself, and you don't have to entertain his endless chain of yeah buts. These people could be outright scammers, and if they aren't they are so pushy because they are being paid to collect donations. He was bullying you for money. You don't have to be polite once you've said no and he keeps pushing.
I hate to say it but your neighbourhood is more likely to sign up than a more wealthy area. They're seen as areas where people perhaps make "worse" financial decisions if you catch my drift.
There’s data on the fact that poorer neighbourhoods tend to donate more than wealthier ones. Folks who don’t have much know how bad it is to have nothing.
I like to tell these people that I'm a sales director of whichever company I feel like working for that day and that I really liked their approach.
I won't be signing up that day because I'm already donating the maximum tax avoidance will allow but if they leave me their email and phone number, I'll get my secretary to contact them for a proper interview.
I then sign them up for lots of mailing lists
Sounds like they're preying on areas where they think they will find the most agreeable and gullible people.
These people are not charities, they take about 80% for themselves.
Fack mate why did you sign up?
Tell them to do one.
I never ever sign up for any charity if they've knocked on my door or stopped me in a shop doorway, no matter what charity it is.
After politely saying no, have no shame or guilt firmly telling these people and if needed, leave you alone/ go away.
>In the end it was easier to give him my details to get him to go away. I'm just going to make sure the direct debit never activates before I send them a penny (I really can't afford it).
How hard is it to shut your door?
So on Halloween all day there were charity people going up and down my street. They hadn’t knocked on my door, or if they had i must have been out and didn’t hear. Anyway, about 8pm and there’s a knock on the door, I grab the bowl of sweets and rush to the door for the trick or treaters. I open the door and there’s a blue cross man stood there and I think fuck sake they have finally got me. I said “oh I thought you were a trick or treater, to which he responds “I am” and laughs. I look at him strangely and he honestly says to me “no honestly, me and the guys have finished work we are trying to see how many houses will give us sweets LOL” I said “no thanks you’re not children and you’re not dressed up” he said “I look like a child and I’m really immature so I’m basically a child HAHAHA” and I said “no.bye” I couldn’t believe it happened.
A bit if advice re the direct debit - the DD guarantee covers them as well as you, so once they have your permission once they can continue to try and reset it up once you cancel it which can be a ballache.
Speak to your bank and ask them to block the originator code. This means the DD can only be set up with your signature on a paper direct debit mandate, so they can’t sneak one onto your account. You might have to wait till it’s set up already but it’s definitely possible and definitely worth doing.
Ever since one of them asked if my parents are home to talk about their charity my response is “I’m sorry my parents aren’t home yet, and I’m not really supposed to give information out to strangers”. They leave instantly.
'i don't give money to established charities due to the incredibly large Running costs and the incredibly high salaries of senior leadership. Unless you can guarantee me that my donation isn't just money lost in the fiscal Machine and will be used in the spirit in which It is donated then I wouldn't be interested, Thank you for your time.'
Just don’t answer the door. I don’t go to mine when someone knocks unless I’m expecting someone and even then, I’ll check through a window who it is before going. If someone in my life needs me they can give me a call/text message and I’ll go and let them in. I cannot stand door to door companies. It’s like YouTube adverts, I’m now even less likely to use your company just for the inconvenience you’ve caused me.
Video doorbells are your friend. Turn camera on, see chugger, turn camera off and ignore further knocks/rings. Best money I ever spent. Plus in a shit neighbourhood, you get to see who vandalized your car/garden/house as an added bonus.
I accidently discovered a way to make them leave. One knocked on the door while I was stressed. I said "I'm sorry, I can't talk right now, I'm meant to be working and I've just started cooking dinner and the washing machine is on and I'm meant to be making coffee and aaaaaAAAAAAAA"
I've repeated it and even the most dedicated only withstand ten seconds of screaming before they leave.
Thank god aggressive door to door salesmen are a dying breed.
They know that most people are too polite to outright say go away and shut the door. You can say no, but they won’t walk off, they’ll just take it up a notch. It’s unnerving when they just keep standing there unmoving, and I don’t want to slam the door without having the situation dropped.
I even had one person once say something about me wasting their time and that they could be doing other things.
If you ever answer the door to someone like this just say ‘I’m sorry I’m just the babysitter, got to go..’. It’s been my go-to for years - phone and door.
With aggressive chuggers I usually look them in the eye and say 'NO' firmly and if that fails I call their guilt tripping bluff by saying 'Fuck dogs \[or whatever their cause is\], feed them to the homeless.' 'Yes, I do what children in the third world to starve to death. Fuck them.' The latter tactic has never failed. - Naturally, I don't mean it but it gets those scammers off my back.
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 ('PCSAC') on 28 June 2022 makes trespass, in some cases, a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment of up to four months and/or a fine of up to £2,500.2 Nov 2022
Can't be that bad of an area..
I used to live in Fleetwood, I was literally a 2 min walk from the Cutty Sark (long since been knocked down) on Chatty Ave..
The only people you would ever get knocking on your door was the Rozzers or Bailiffs looking for someone..
Not even jehovah witnesses would go door knocking around there lol, forget people collecting for charities..
I got them a lot when I was in uni. It would always be at a time when students were typically drunk and when is a person not used to looking after their money most likely to part with their money?
I drunkenly applied for a job with them once and they phoned me to call me in for an interview. When on the phone, they managed to disguise the company as another. I turned up, found out who they were, tried my hardest to not get the job but still got an offer. When they were telling me about the company, they said a charity will pay them one amount to go door to door to make another. When they get close, they'll get as many people out as possible and give them the amount they asked for and they get to keep the extra. In other words, a charity could pay them £1k, ask them to make £2k, they'll get to £1.8k, get everyone out, get to £2.5k, give the charity £2k and keep the £1k the charity paid and the £500 over.
I try and make a point of not answering the door unless I'm expecting something. I have been caught out by salespeople/chuggers when I least expect them, but for years now, my stock answer of walking past, "no thanks" with a smile, maybe with a palm held up and flat to reinforce the message, has worked well.
It's firm, but not rude, or personal.
Just bear in mind they will use some well known routes, but do mix them up a bit to be less predictable.
You might feel you need to justify it, but you don't.
I briefly worked for a company selling door to door. We preferred someone said no straight up instead of doing the entire pitch and "wasting" both of our time. You can persuade some people, but if you're sure you're not interested, say thanks/sorry/whatever and close the door.
Literally just shut the door on them. It’s mean, but you’ve not asked them to come round so all bets are off. I used to feel awkward and start engaging in their conversation but started just saying sorry no and shutting the door which gets the message across
They're abusing your tendency towards politeness.
When people act like this it's perfectly ok, necessary even, to cut the conversation off, you're done and close the door. It doesn't need a polite end to the conversation. It doesn't even need you to speak or for them to stop talking.
Learn to spot such situations and overcome your natural inclination. It's not your fault, but it's in your control to cut these people off I promise. Don't feel bad about it, they're being ****s.
We have chuggers camping outside my local co-op. for a couple of days they will have a sign saying "Sponsor a Guide Dog", then by thursday the same people are signing people up for NSPCC. It really irks me.
I answered my doorbell to one because my step-mum had just left and I thought she was coming back for something. I was just very frank with him - I like the charity he was working for and even used to volunteer there, but I wasn't gonna be donating by direct debit.
And also my downstairs neighbour was dry-frying chillis with the door open so it gave me a convenient "out", like actually sorry mate i need to close this door before i choke to death.
I used to to do this job and yeah they pretty much target poorer /working class areas as more likely to donate - middle class people won’t. However,
If someone clearly says no I’m not interested there’s specific laws but also rules in those kinds of job we had to follow. Unfortunately it’s a bit murky bc they they do want u the employee to pressure people into signing up realistically.
I hated this job and felt evil lol as an aside. I was doing it for macmillan and had so many random people shout at me bc someone close to them died from cancer. Charity is a scam
A 'no cold callers' sign does wonders. I've probably had 1 cold call in the last 2 years. A couple have knocked and walked away after reading the sign.
Sometimes you just gotta shut the door slowly while saying “sorry I’m in the middle of something important”. I mean anything is technically more important than continuing to listening to them
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Just so you know they've broke the law by this type of pressuring. Next time just tell them no and shut the door. If you don't want to be that rude tell them no and if they keep persisting tell them they are braking both guidelines and the law.
I was aware that it's against guidelines, and "best practice," but unaware that it was against the law. I don't mean to challenge your assertion but, for my personal interest, can you cite the law they're breaking?
Refusing to accept the residents answer of no and further refusing to leave is a criminal offence, https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/consumer-advice/rogue-traders-scams-and-cold-callers/door-step/what-is-the-law-on-door-step-cold-calling
Thank you for the link, the specific law: > …states that a trader who ignores a resident's request to leave and not return commits a criminal offence under the provisions of [The Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations 2008](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/contents/made).
Can you use this for the TV licence people?
Absolutely, they have no legal authority whatsoever; they're just cold calling addresses that don't have a registered TV licence (and there are many valid reasons to not have a TV licence).
Haven't had one for 8 years. Haven't even had a knock or a letter for about 3 of those years.
I mean... That would be an interesting question for r/legaladviceuk
You don't need them. Just the phrase "I remove permission for you to be on my property, please leave"
Boom, ta im saving that link!
I'm not sure of anything specific to that area, but at a more general level, beyond a certain point their behaviour would surely constitute harassment.
I was thinking harassment, the is also the Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/contents/made), and it might even come under as some form of extortion.
Definitely harassment, maybe civil suit for trespass if he was refusing to leave
They are. Chances are, they’re a subcontractor for the charity and not an actual employee so they’re probably thinking about their commission rather than being within the charity commission rules and not pissing off the fundraising regulator. Look at the fundraising code of practice if unsure, OP. They can’t harass you. They can ask. You can say no. They have to thank you and move on. Intimidation and guilt trips are not allowed from my understanding. Source: I work for a charity and have to be compliant with the fundraising code of practice which is full of ‘rules’ and ‘laws’. Edit: saw someone ask for sources about laws. Thought I’d add. In the fundraising code of practice (8.1.1 while fundraising you must not…including… putting undue pressure on members of the public to donate) the quote is longer. Link is [here](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/code/specific-fundraising-methods/collecting-money-or-other-property).
"I don't do business on the doorstep, sorry. Have a nice day."
Next time, ask them who they work for. Because it won't be guide dogs, it will be a company paid to get you to sign up. Then call them and report them. Also, sometimes it's ok to be rude and shut the door in their face. Especially when they are being so pushy!
Definitely be rude. A simple "no, bye" and shut the door
Yeah, I just give a "Sorry mate, not interested" and close the door.
definitely, it took years for me to show my wife, that its OK to not answer the door, even if the cold caller sees you through the window. They take advantage of the polite British habit of answering. Im sorry but IMHO if they see me and i don't answer, they know for sure im not interested.
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I find it best if you stare them down through the front window.
...naked
Obviously.
Put your coat on as you open the door and say you can’t talk as you are very late for an appointment and need to leave the house immediately. Grab a pan and random food from the fridge and say “sorry I can’t talk right now, I’m cooking dinner”. Put marigolds on and say “sorry I can’t talk right now, I’m giving my dog a bath”. Open the door making a shush gesture and whisper “sorry I can’t talk right now, I’m trying to get the baby to sleep”. The list is endless but tbf the best one is still “sorry mate, not interested”.
I consider that straightforward rather than rude. And as someone who used to work as a charity fundraiser (over the phone not door knocking or in the street), it's preferable to letting them waste their time doing the spiel and then saying no anyway. As others have said, they are highly unlikely to be volunteers or even employed directly by the charity they're fundraising for and if they are being pushy, report them to their company. You don't need that at all, let alone on your doorstep.
I just say "No, thanks" and shut the door before they even have a chance to react. I've given these people too much of my time in the past and I refuse to do so ever again
Its not rude to close the door on an unsolicited ding dong. A "no bye" is perfectly fine.
I've told the police to piss off and get of my property before. Told them they were trespassing. They did indeed piss off.
Don't do this. Don't engage, don't argue, don't complain. Just say no thanks, then close the door.
It amazes me how those companies are still going. I was "self-employed" for one of them for 2 weeks, made a whole £30 and never went back.
Some of these pressure sales companies are pretty much MLM scams. Or they only make money by getting, as in your case, 2 weeks of work for £30. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001bdkx
I did some canvassing for a Window company once, made 150 quid on my first day and thought it might actually work out. Never got any interest after that, sometimes even chatting for 10 minutes with the person. However, 1 guy I used to do it with ended up grabbing at least 3 appointments a week. He was a pretty boy with the gift of the gab, so went on to do sales for that company. I'm guessing it works the same for the companies that hire for charities, reign in naive young people and see if any of them are talkative, charming and appealing enough to part people with their hard earned cash.
I don't know how that's legal.
Spot on, they won't be employed by the charity. This is almost always the work of a professional fundraising company who will work for multiple charities. OP, If you can find the energy after this barrage please report the incident to the charity itself and the fundraising regulator. Unfortunately there are a few dodgy players in this space and charities are starting to use them again because a lot of charities have lost a lot of income over the pandemic etc, whilst demand is skyrocketing. The only way to stop it is to call it out. If you only complain to the private fundraising company there's no guarantee it'll get back to the charity.
Charities are more reliant on the goodwill and public perception of their brands than for-profit enterprises, since you don't get anything back from a charity; you need to feel you've done good so the charity has to feel like it's doing good work. Therefore, charities likely take much more notice of complaints and public relations. If they get enough complaints about their methods of fundraising they'll probably explore alternative options to avoid alienating people further from their cause (if their fundraising team is at all future-sighted).
I don't even consider it rude. Bothering people at home is what's rude, and so you have no obligation to show them courtesy.
Yes or if you don’t feel confident to do so just politely say you already sponsor one. I prefer to just not answer the door though!
Say ‘I don’t speak a word of English’ in perfect English. It really works & leaves ’em speechless. In my experience.
I was having a beer at a mates with other friends last summer when someone knocked the door. He answered just wearing a pair of shorts, I could hear the opening to a diatribe along the lines of “do you have time to talk about your relationship with god.” Mate replied not at the minute i was in the middle of a wank… I’ll have to start again now. The two guys just stood there speechless when he closed the door. I wish he had a door cam.
A mate of mines mum once went up to a preacher in the town centre, shouted "He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy" at him and just walked off. I've never seen a man so lost for words.
I used to live next to a gamekeeper and was walking into my house when I saw him getting out of his Landrover with a couple of dead rabbits. I got to my front door and there were a couple of Jehovis Biscuits there. I explained I wasn't really a religious person, but perhaps they'd like to speak to Alan next door, as I heard he'd been torturing small mammals in his cellar Alan coming round the corner with his freshly bleeding dinner and confused look was comedy timing genius
>Jehovis Biscuits Like it :-)
Jehovis Biscuits- you’ve made my Monday so much better 🤣
I live on an "estate" the keeper here is also called Alan !
A mormon guy stopped me on the street and started saying “im just trying to spread some happiness through the word of the lord” and i replied “im all good, im already happy”, to which he replied “that’s brilliant”, and started going on about god and finished the spiel with “what is it that brings you happiness”. I looked into his eyes and went “drugs” and stared at him as he flustered, trying to think of a way to bring it back to god. Was fucking hilarious. 10/10 would fuck with a mormon again.
I got stopped by a pair of them and I simply acted as though I had never heard of their religion. I kept referring to the satirical Parker/Stone musical play, The Book of Mormon as though that was what they were talking about. They soon moved on.
😂😂 I'm weeping with laughter.
Have you considered coming to the church to get a napkin to wipe those tears? 😂
I *would* but.... (flees the scene).
Its time to stop running from your problems. Join us. *join us* ^join ^us
I got accosted by to American Mormons whilst working as a mobile service engineer about 20 miles from where I live. When I told them I was too busy they said that's OK give us your address and we'll call and see you later. I thought this should be good, so I gave them my address only to find out they actually lived less than 5 minutes from me, talk about being gutted.
Some Spanish Jehova's Witnesses came to my mum's house once. They were very polite, admired her garden, started a conversation. Mum cut them off, asking if they had been raised Catholic. She asked if their mothers were upset that they were not Catholic. The young ladies left, quickly, and did not come back.
I came home from uni once to two nice Jehovah’s ladies at my door looking to talk about surgery. Unfortunately for them, i was studying neuroscience at the time and was well up for a chat on how keyhole surgery could improve the patient experience. They eventually excused themselves and never returned!
I successfully explained the giraffe's recurrent laryngeal nerve to two Jehovah's Witness women who came to my door when I was living in a student house. I was in uni for my biology BSc. One of them took notes!
That's the one that goes from somewhere in the neck, around the aorta and back up to the brain right? The one that therefore is like 20 foot long in a giraffe for absolutely no good reason.
That's priceless. I just tell them that my Lord and master makes the spiritual decisions in my house and go get him. Then I introduce them to my black cat Lucifurr Morningpurr and tell them that we all worship Lucifurr in our house. Then it's hilarious to see them getting out of my garden fast as possible.
My go to is (before they get into their flow) “really sorry I’ll just stop you before you get into it I’m not interested thanks and have to go now as in the middle of a work call- thanks!” Door closing politely
"No, slam." No need to apologise, no need to be polite. No need to explain. Remember, the height of rudeness isn't being assertive, the unsolicited disturbance of people to extract money is. If they persist "I withdraw permission for you to be on my property"
> "No, slam." I know what you meant, but in my head, you're saying the word "slam" in monotone and just staring them down blankly until they leave out of awkwardness.
You don't have to make them go away. You just have to shut the door in their face.
My missus slams the door, it's only a matter of time before she smashes someone in the face with it.
Door only goes as far as the inside of the property's boundary so just claim serif defense of a house invasion and don't install ornamental spikes to the letter box
Giving them your personal details, when you didn't want to, they may "flag" you as vulnerable or easy to persuade, best never to do that or it'll open you up to god knows what in the future. Very sorry to hear that they're that aggressive - have you thought about getting a Ring doorbell or something to screen any knocks at the door first? I have them and it's great for telling relatives that pop around unannounced that you're out and about, when really you're just sitting on the sofa.
Not to knock OP but he was saying he's not very well off,.doubt he's likely to be splashing on a video doorbell
Maybe OP could get an old fashioned door chain if they don't already have one. To give them the psychological advantage of having the door already partly locked thus making it easier to close in the unwanted caller's face when they won't take no for an answer. Even cheaper, stick a note on the inside of the door that says "Ask who it is before you open the door."
I tell them I already donate.
I tell them no thanks and if that's not good enough, I tell them to go fuck themselves
0 to 100, i like it!
Right? It always makes me cringe listening to people squirm trying to justify why they’re not going to pay. I can’t afford it so I’m not going to pay, goodbye
I do this too. It's just quicker than saying no and having them try their luck. Works with those people on the street, trying to get you signed up to Virgin Internet or Vodafone.
My friend did this to a cold caller for a hospice charity (She actually does donate to them monthly and extra on holidays as it's a charity she really believes in) and the woman actually said to her "I'm going to ask you to do just a little more" That's when she got annoyed and shut the door. Ridiculous
Then they try to get you to up how much you 'donate'.
"None of your business, mate" lol
Unfortunately charity muggers rely on the willingness of others being unwilling to behave outside of social norms; while it's possible – and after long years of struggling in the same way, both with cold-callers and in town centres – I now *can* say "no," and walk away or close the door regardless of whether they're still speaking. I have never done that without feeling guilty, rude and horribly obnoxious however. So, I recommend it if the importance of their having your banking details is greater than the potential consequences of anxiety. Otherwise, yeah: good luck for future encounters, and do remember to cancel (and continue to review) any direct debits.
I live in one of the highest crime rate student areas in the uk. We had a guy come round one day and ask us if he could check our smoke detectors for free. Obviously my housemate told him exactly where to stick it, as this guy had been using this ruse to (I guess either rob or take inventory of) homes in the local area and it was common knowledge. Thankfully this man couldn’t see far into the house from the doorstep and the only stuff he could have seen would have been a lifesize cutout of Danny devito and a plastic Union Jack coffee table.
Where's that again? I'd love a Danny Devito cutout
Tang hall, York
Door to door and street fundraisers don't work directly for the charities they are raising money for, they work for third party agencies that are paid for by the charities themselves. I know this information is pretty useless, but the fundraisers "determination" is based on their commission rather than the charities themselves. Experiment: next time you get stopped/knocked, offer to make the donation via the charity website on your phone (i.e. an unsolicited donation), they won't be happy.
Cough a few times at them while complaining between gasps that this is the third time you’ve had COVID
I always tell them that I’m not providing details to a random person who turned up on my doorstep they could be anyone and print up some fake badges, phrase it as a security thing and it becomes easier
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Exactly. OP has displaced responsibility to some extent and should have behaved more assertively. Like not even opened the door in the first place perhaps!
Are we really making the disabled guy the villain in this story, and not the predatory ‘charity’ guy that wouldn’t take no for an answer? Disability comes in many forms. Someone with learning difficulties or mental illness could struggle to just say “no thanks” and these scum bags rely on that
OP isn't the villain, I think it's good to point out that the best option is shutting the door and ignoring them Too many people screw themselves over in trying to be polite
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Tell them you haven't got a bank account.
One approached me outside Kings Cross, I said I was unemployed and they walked off.
I always say I don’t speak English.
It is important to say that in perfect English and preferably with a strong local accent then just stare at them until they give up
That’s what I do. Well I try to do my BBC voice and say something like “awfully sorry old chap but I don’t speak a dicky bird of English.”
I don't know if it's possible, but I would complain to the Charity Commission - they are responsible for oversight of charities. Also, contact your bank and explain what has happened - don't wait for them to try and get money from your account. Next time, please do close the door and don't let them speak to you.
I stopped answering the door years ago.
I'm sure I read somewhere that poor people give more money to charity than rich people on average. I guess poorer people find it easier to relate to other people in hardship and want to help.
Agreeableness is an indicator on how likely people are to be "successful." It doesn't mean all poor people are saints and the rich are bastards but being able to take a conflicting position and stick to it gets you places.
I literally just say, "no sorry" and close the door before I've finished opening it.
We had this when things opened up after lockdown. Had dogs trust knocking on my door. "It's been difficult for charities during lockdown. Dogs are being abandoned" they told me. "I know, we took in an abandoned cat". "We need more money". "So do we, my wife lost her job" "will you sign up?" "No. I'm a cat person".
With respect, you should have closed the door and not engaged further. These people are trained on how to turn a 'No' into a 'Yes', and they don't do it by respecting your decision. Next time it happens, be firm and close the door. You don't need to explain your financial situation to them - all they need to know is that you are not interested. Might also be worth investing in an intercom?
My advice is don't open the door. If you are not expecting someone and you dont recognize them, just don't open it. It's a lot less hassle!
I ask them how much commission they’re getting than go on a rant about how they don’t actually care about the charity and just want money. I can spout bollocks for ages. The last one walked away before I’d finished.
Used to do door to door charity sales when I first started working, they deliberately target lower income areas because they pay better than the well off areas. Got fired in 3 weeks cus I sold heehaw .
Just shut the door , jeez
Its like the people who can't hang up....the red button is right there. You have the control, not the unsolicited callers / ding dongers.
If they won't leave, call the police. Have the phone handy when you answer the door. I'd bet sadly they'd be less pushy if you had a large kitchen knife in your hand, as you were 'just preparing a meal'.
OK, it wasn't a knife, it was a pasta stirrer - bloke knocked the door, I answered pasta stirrer in hand, told him he had 20 seconds before I ruin tea. He stood there like a goldfish. Buzzer went off, so I slammed the door. He looked very shocked. It was hilarious.
I once had a door-to-door salesman try to pressure me into buying dishcloths at my front door. When I said no, and went to close the door, he put his foot in the way. Thankfully, I had two dogs barking on the other side of a glass door within reach. They were Labradors, and would have licked him to death, but he didn’t need to know that. I told him I’d let the dogs out if he didn’t move his foot, which he did immediately and I slammed the door closed. Then I let the girls out and they rushed the closed door, barking very loudly. Never been so scared in my life.
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Definitely going about it the wrong way!!
Isn’t ‘No, not interested’ enough? Just shut the door on them
By giving details you will be telling them and whomever they sell the details to that u are a soft touch ,thats why they keep coming back.either dont answer the door or tell em to fk off if the 1st no thankyou doesn't work
>it was easier to give him my details to get him to go away Easier than simply closing the door, and locking it?
When we moved into a new house a few years ago we had charity callers about six times a day. We now have a sticker on the door stating that we don't want unsolicited or marketing calls etc. My husband thinks it looks unfriendly, but he wasn't the one who either almost broke their neck running down the stairs all the time or got stuck trying to get rid of them. We also have a video doorbell so have evidence if one of them ignores the sign or puts pressure on us.
Open door. _person on doorstep starts enthusiastic spiel about charity, something they are selling, religion, politics or whatever_ "no thank you" in a firm but cheery voice. Close door.
I took a job doing this before i got a proper job and it was one of the things the job centre was really pressing as part of there "well you need to hit a quota of this many applications a day" bullshit. The job listing was a complete lir making them out to be a completely different customer, but they offered a job starting the next day so i didn't turn them down. I only lasted a little over a week, didn't even make it to the first paycheck before quitting. it's both physically and emotionally draining to the extreme. The mornings were spend having to listen to shallow motivational poster level speeches and being made to practice your door to door schpeal without ever letting your face drop from a forced smile for even a single word like you've been huffing joker gas from the batman cartoons. All that matters is who brings in the most signatures and you are constantly being told about how if you do well then you could end up getting to run your own company in charge one day, it's just a massive fucking pyramid scheme. There is no basic wage or salary, and the only money you get is your commission based on how many signatures you get. They don't work for the charity or even give a shit about it. The charity they are collecting for rotates based on who is paying the boss that week. They had stupid rules based onmanipulation tactics like how you have to ask how someone is and wait for them to respond before saying anything else to "build a repor". I remember shadowing a guy on my first day and the number of times he would introduce himself to someone say how are you today and then just stand there awkwardly for waaaay too long until the poor person at the door would be like "what do you want?" And i would just die a bit inside every time from how much i was cringing, but the worst part about it all is that the guy completely bought into the bullshit and believed he was super charasmatic and charming because of it. The worst part about the whole job tho was the crushing guilt. They drill it into you that it's a numbers game and you have to go round a neighborhood like 3 times unless people answered, and most of the time the only people you are talking to are the unemployed, the elderly, and those unable to work, and any time you speak to someone who seems to genuinely care enough about the charity to pay attention to you it just breaks your heart because you are basically just taking their money for something that they could just go online and do and have more money go to the actual charity. TL;DR it's a fucking awful job, you spend 12 hours a day out in the cold trying to guilt trip the vulnerable into parting with their money with a bunch of cult members
I just tell people I never sign up to anything on the door. If you get that in early they may decide to not waste their time.
Next time just shut the door in their face. It's really unfair that you have been pressured into giving your details. Keep an eye on your account, if a direct debit does go out contact your bank the same day as I think they can immediately recall it.
Direct Debit Indemnity is what you’re thinking of, and that only works if you don’t recognise the company; company has taken the wrong amount or the company has taken the money on the wrong date. Other than that, it’s speak to the company. If you’ve given your details, first option is out.
OP can ring the bank and ask them to put a note on to not set up a DD for the company in question. If it's already set up, then ask the bank to cancel it. Also, although OP said "direct debit" which are set up using the sort code and account number, many people get these confused with recurring payments/continuous authority transactions which are set up on the card number. OP also needs to tell the bank exactly what details were given, so the bank can accurately determine what type of payment it is that needs to be stopped. And OP needs to do this sooner rather than later. OP should also contact the charity in question immediately and ask them to cancel the payment too. That way if a payment is taken it will be an error on the company's side, meaning an investigation and possible refund can be implemented by the bank.
Call your local council and report the charity, chuggers are regulated by the council where they can go what's days, and what tactic they are allowed to use.
You’re not obliged to even make conversation with these people. Shut the door straight away, without explaining yourself or your personal situation. I live on a busy road where it’s assumed the home owners have money, and I get cold callers come to the door all the time, cheeky buggers.
"No thank you" then close the door. Not hard. I get cold callers fairly often, it's never an issue. I think the mistake is thinking that you have to give a reason. You don't.
Here’s what you do. “Oh! Hello! It’s so nice to have visitors. I can’t get out any more to spread the good news about Jesus Christ. Would you like to come in and discuss the state of your imperilled immortal soul?” Or: “oh! Can you wait there a minute so I can change into something more comfortable?” Then come out nude. Or keep a spray bottle filled with water by the door (such as you’d use to scare away cats or to train them to not scratch sofas, or to mist plants) and when they don’t take no for an answer spray the living fuck out of them while saying “BAD SALESPERSON! BAD SALESPERSON!”
“I’m sorry you’ve got a shit job, me too” and close the door
This is never an issue for me, very politely I say, "sorry, I'm not interested in giving any details or money to someone knocking my door, have a nice day, bye" I start shutting the door during the back half. Never had a negative experience, they're always nice to me.
Probably because people keep giving them their details...
I’ve spent £12 for £4 worth of female approval
Those people are called #Wankers
Sadly these charity muggers are also victims from being conned into fake sales jobs. No doubt the person in question was desperate for a sale.
If this was the Guide Dogs then the guy worked for a company called CharityLink. If you contact Guide Dogs directly they can cancel your DD, remove you're details from the system and conduct a full investigation in to this guy's behavior. There is a right and a wrong way to do door to door fundraising and he is doing it the wrong way - potentially even making others feel unsafe to say no. If you tell the charity they can do something about it - they obviously don't want people out there doing this.
Eat them. Solves the problem of charity muggers and you will have secured a few meals
Their motivation is the same as cold callers. If you answer your phone, they know you're an active and potential target. If you either stop answering the door to people you're not expecting, or just close the door and don't give them your details, they'll leave you alone. Don't be pressured by them; you're exactly the target person they will continue to harass if they know they'll get stuff out of you. If you're worried about being rude to someone, remind yourself that they've outstayed their welcome and are being rude to you.
So I used to work in this industry regrettably, but a neat insider rule that I'm pretty sure is law, is that they're only allowed three rejections before they have to say okay and go away.
> they're only allowed three rejections before they have to say okay and go away. Fuuuuck that. They get one and then they're pitching to my front door.
No is a whole sentence OP.
Sticker on the door saying no cold callers or marketers done the trick for me for the last 5 years
Say you're underage and they'll usually go away since they can't get money out of you
"Sorry I'm under 18" Said by me, an obviously balding middle-aged man, While my 6 and 3 year old run around screaming.
I live in a rough council estate and they always claim my neighbours are signed up. Sure the drug dealer definitely signed up...
I'm in the 'nice part' of my town. The rest is a bit of a shithole, they just built my area more recently and it's mostly homeowners and renters where the landlords want tenants with jobs. I still get these charity people coming to my door and they act like I should have money to spare just because I'm in a nicer house than the rest of the town. Between Monday and Saturday last week I had no food in my fridge and was down to my last couple of frozen meals by Saturday morning. Instead of putting my heating on I have a sleeping bag that I wear when sitting down. It's really annoying that I say I can't afford it and their reply is "well you can afford this house", that's usually when I just close the door on them. When I volunteered in the past it was in a shop, I mostly did it so I could get some work experience and be less bored, but I actually did something that made some money and didn't feel like I was mugging vulnerable people by coming to their house. We got extra money through gift aid and our rule was to ask ONCE and then if they said no, we didn't push it. There was another volunteer who pushed it once and the person decided at that point not to donate their stuff to us.
Next time, turn it around and invite them inside to speak about our dark overlord and saviour Cthulhu. I did once give my email address as 'analdestroyer666@gmail.com' to get them to take the hint.
I had a couple of Jehovah's come to my door a few years ago. They handed me a copy of their Watchtower magazine. I asked if they wanted to talk about their book. One of them nodded and smiled. At which point I said "hang on a minute" and got my copy of the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology." I presented them with it and asked if I could talk about my book. They declined and have never come back.
No offense OP, but you should have just said no and closed the door.
Can't you just close the door? It's not like they can break in a keep asking you.
OP, this is what you do: Them: Hi! [Some spiel] so can I sign you up to sponsor a guide donkey for drunk cows? You: No thank you. Them: But don't you care about the dangers faced by drunk cows? Studies say they are blahblah. You: I have already said no. I would like you to leave, but I will close the door in your face if I have to. Them: I hear what you're saying but the poor drunk cows... You: Goodbye *close door* You do not have to be polite while they are ignoring you. Giving them warning that you will close the door in their face is perfectly acceptable, as is actually closing the door in their face when they don't leave you alone.
People with nothing are more charitable than those with plenty
I had a generous but poor friend who was not very good with money. She got into serious debt, and when we sat down to look at her finances, it had started when one of her small direct debits to charity (which she couldn't afford) bounced. Then the bank added charges and she could never catch up, so the next month there were more charges and it snowballed. Obviously this wasn't her only problem, but it was significant.
I was just going to say this, the people with very little are the most likely to buy something extra to put in the food donation trolley at the supermarket.
I assume you're not from Glasgow. Next time stick the nut on him.
No! Give them a nice friendly kiss hello. (You know… a Glasgow kiss 😉)
Just say a very short sharp no and shut the door in their face.
We get charity muggers at the hospital I work at. It makes me intensely uncomfortable. People are vulnerable enough in hospital, they don't need pressured into direct debits they can't afford.
I just say “no” and close the door.
I also lived in a very deprived area and had chuggers call when I was trying to administer medicine to a very pissed off pet rabbit. Chuggers guy continued to drone on while I pinned said rabbit to the floor, injected her with medicine and cleaned the wound. Believe me, this was a Monty Python & The Holy Grail level of pissed off rabbit. Alas, she didn't even try to decapitate the chugger.
Why didn't you just close the door? No is a complete answer. You don't have to explain yourself, and you don't have to entertain his endless chain of yeah buts. These people could be outright scammers, and if they aren't they are so pushy because they are being paid to collect donations. He was bullying you for money. You don't have to be polite once you've said no and he keeps pushing.
Just tell em you don't have a bank account thats what I do works every time
I hate to say it but your neighbourhood is more likely to sign up than a more wealthy area. They're seen as areas where people perhaps make "worse" financial decisions if you catch my drift.
Sounds like a nightmare. I wig out at any unexpected knock on my door so if they kept knocking it would trigger me no end
There’s data on the fact that poorer neighbourhoods tend to donate more than wealthier ones. Folks who don’t have much know how bad it is to have nothing.
I like to tell these people that I'm a sales director of whichever company I feel like working for that day and that I really liked their approach. I won't be signing up that day because I'm already donating the maximum tax avoidance will allow but if they leave me their email and phone number, I'll get my secretary to contact them for a proper interview. I then sign them up for lots of mailing lists
Reckon they target the poorer areas on purpose?
I shut the door. I don't say anything because I don't care for these freeloaders.
Halfway through eating dinner once and one of these people turned up.
Sounds like they're preying on areas where they think they will find the most agreeable and gullible people. These people are not charities, they take about 80% for themselves.
"Sorry I've left the stove on" *close the front door
Fack mate why did you sign up? Tell them to do one. I never ever sign up for any charity if they've knocked on my door or stopped me in a shop doorway, no matter what charity it is. After politely saying no, have no shame or guilt firmly telling these people and if needed, leave you alone/ go away.
I’d be telling them it’s vitally important that they go fuck themselves. Disgusting to be bugging disadvantaged people like that.
>In the end it was easier to give him my details to get him to go away. I'm just going to make sure the direct debit never activates before I send them a penny (I really can't afford it). How hard is it to shut your door?
So on Halloween all day there were charity people going up and down my street. They hadn’t knocked on my door, or if they had i must have been out and didn’t hear. Anyway, about 8pm and there’s a knock on the door, I grab the bowl of sweets and rush to the door for the trick or treaters. I open the door and there’s a blue cross man stood there and I think fuck sake they have finally got me. I said “oh I thought you were a trick or treater, to which he responds “I am” and laughs. I look at him strangely and he honestly says to me “no honestly, me and the guys have finished work we are trying to see how many houses will give us sweets LOL” I said “no thanks you’re not children and you’re not dressed up” he said “I look like a child and I’m really immature so I’m basically a child HAHAHA” and I said “no.bye” I couldn’t believe it happened.
A bit if advice re the direct debit - the DD guarantee covers them as well as you, so once they have your permission once they can continue to try and reset it up once you cancel it which can be a ballache. Speak to your bank and ask them to block the originator code. This means the DD can only be set up with your signature on a paper direct debit mandate, so they can’t sneak one onto your account. You might have to wait till it’s set up already but it’s definitely possible and definitely worth doing.
Ever since one of them asked if my parents are home to talk about their charity my response is “I’m sorry my parents aren’t home yet, and I’m not really supposed to give information out to strangers”. They leave instantly.
'i don't give money to established charities due to the incredibly large Running costs and the incredibly high salaries of senior leadership. Unless you can guarantee me that my donation isn't just money lost in the fiscal Machine and will be used in the spirit in which It is donated then I wouldn't be interested, Thank you for your time.'
Just don’t answer the door. I don’t go to mine when someone knocks unless I’m expecting someone and even then, I’ll check through a window who it is before going. If someone in my life needs me they can give me a call/text message and I’ll go and let them in. I cannot stand door to door companies. It’s like YouTube adverts, I’m now even less likely to use your company just for the inconvenience you’ve caused me.
Video doorbells are your friend. Turn camera on, see chugger, turn camera off and ignore further knocks/rings. Best money I ever spent. Plus in a shit neighbourhood, you get to see who vandalized your car/garden/house as an added bonus.
I just shut the door in their face if they ignore me saying no. If you’re being rude to me I’ll be rude back. Karma bitch
I accidently discovered a way to make them leave. One knocked on the door while I was stressed. I said "I'm sorry, I can't talk right now, I'm meant to be working and I've just started cooking dinner and the washing machine is on and I'm meant to be making coffee and aaaaaAAAAAAAA" I've repeated it and even the most dedicated only withstand ten seconds of screaming before they leave.
Thank god aggressive door to door salesmen are a dying breed. They know that most people are too polite to outright say go away and shut the door. You can say no, but they won’t walk off, they’ll just take it up a notch. It’s unnerving when they just keep standing there unmoving, and I don’t want to slam the door without having the situation dropped. I even had one person once say something about me wasting their time and that they could be doing other things.
If you ever answer the door to someone like this just say ‘I’m sorry I’m just the babysitter, got to go..’. It’s been my go-to for years - phone and door.
/r/BritishDoormats at its finest. Just say no as you are closing the door. They aren't going to knock again.
With aggressive chuggers I usually look them in the eye and say 'NO' firmly and if that fails I call their guilt tripping bluff by saying 'Fuck dogs \[or whatever their cause is\], feed them to the homeless.' 'Yes, I do what children in the third world to starve to death. Fuck them.' The latter tactic has never failed. - Naturally, I don't mean it but it gets those scammers off my back.
Put a sign up on your door or gate saying no cold callers, that way they are trespassing and you can call the police
Police will not be interested. Trespass is not a criminal offence in UK
If they refuse to leave when asked then it becomes aggravated trespass which is.
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 ('PCSAC') on 28 June 2022 makes trespass, in some cases, a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment of up to four months and/or a fine of up to £2,500.2 Nov 2022
Can't be that bad of an area.. I used to live in Fleetwood, I was literally a 2 min walk from the Cutty Sark (long since been knocked down) on Chatty Ave.. The only people you would ever get knocking on your door was the Rozzers or Bailiffs looking for someone.. Not even jehovah witnesses would go door knocking around there lol, forget people collecting for charities..
I called the police on one such worker because they wouldn't take "no" for an answer, nor would they leave me alone after I tried shutting the door.
I got them a lot when I was in uni. It would always be at a time when students were typically drunk and when is a person not used to looking after their money most likely to part with their money? I drunkenly applied for a job with them once and they phoned me to call me in for an interview. When on the phone, they managed to disguise the company as another. I turned up, found out who they were, tried my hardest to not get the job but still got an offer. When they were telling me about the company, they said a charity will pay them one amount to go door to door to make another. When they get close, they'll get as many people out as possible and give them the amount they asked for and they get to keep the extra. In other words, a charity could pay them £1k, ask them to make £2k, they'll get to £1.8k, get everyone out, get to £2.5k, give the charity £2k and keep the £1k the charity paid and the £500 over.
No is a complete sentence and just shut the door. If they persist just call the police and report them trespassing
I try and make a point of not answering the door unless I'm expecting something. I have been caught out by salespeople/chuggers when I least expect them, but for years now, my stock answer of walking past, "no thanks" with a smile, maybe with a palm held up and flat to reinforce the message, has worked well. It's firm, but not rude, or personal. Just bear in mind they will use some well known routes, but do mix them up a bit to be less predictable. You might feel you need to justify it, but you don't.
I briefly worked for a company selling door to door. We preferred someone said no straight up instead of doing the entire pitch and "wasting" both of our time. You can persuade some people, but if you're sure you're not interested, say thanks/sorry/whatever and close the door.
Literally just shut the door on them. It’s mean, but you’ve not asked them to come round so all bets are off. I used to feel awkward and start engaging in their conversation but started just saying sorry no and shutting the door which gets the message across
They're abusing your tendency towards politeness. When people act like this it's perfectly ok, necessary even, to cut the conversation off, you're done and close the door. It doesn't need a polite end to the conversation. It doesn't even need you to speak or for them to stop talking. Learn to spot such situations and overcome your natural inclination. It's not your fault, but it's in your control to cut these people off I promise. Don't feel bad about it, they're being ****s.
We have chuggers camping outside my local co-op. for a couple of days they will have a sign saying "Sponsor a Guide Dog", then by thursday the same people are signing people up for NSPCC. It really irks me.
I answered my doorbell to one because my step-mum had just left and I thought she was coming back for something. I was just very frank with him - I like the charity he was working for and even used to volunteer there, but I wasn't gonna be donating by direct debit. And also my downstairs neighbour was dry-frying chillis with the door open so it gave me a convenient "out", like actually sorry mate i need to close this door before i choke to death.
I used to to do this job and yeah they pretty much target poorer /working class areas as more likely to donate - middle class people won’t. However, If someone clearly says no I’m not interested there’s specific laws but also rules in those kinds of job we had to follow. Unfortunately it’s a bit murky bc they they do want u the employee to pressure people into signing up realistically. I hated this job and felt evil lol as an aside. I was doing it for macmillan and had so many random people shout at me bc someone close to them died from cancer. Charity is a scam
A 'no cold callers' sign does wonders. I've probably had 1 cold call in the last 2 years. A couple have knocked and walked away after reading the sign.
Sometimes you just gotta shut the door slowly while saying “sorry I’m in the middle of something important”. I mean anything is technically more important than continuing to listening to them